Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a global issue that negatively affects agricultural productivity in acid soil regions, which arguably comprise upwards of 50% of the world's arable land. In acid soil environments, Aluminum speciates to the highly toxic trivalent cation form, Al3+. Aluminum toxicity is manifested as severely reduced root growth that causes reduced shoot growth and crop yields. Even though Aluminum toxic soils are widespread, they represent some of the most biologically diverse regions in terms of plant life, indicating that native plants have evolved poorly understood mechanisms that allow them to tolerate levels of Aluminum that are highly inhibitory for agriculturally important crop species.
Aluminum-rich soils are a significant source of crop damage, affecting at least 50% of the world's potentially arable lands. The problem is particularly vital in the tropics, where the need to feed swelling populations is pressing and yet large swathes of arable lands are rendered fallow due to their acidic aluminum-rich compositions. Research into aluminum tolerance in plants seeks to address and overcome these problems by developing crop plants capable of growing despite the presence of toxic levels of aluminum.